They'll Pay for Every Foot
by Goodylee
Summary: Josh, a young soldier, enlists without knowing that the war to end all wars is soon to come. This is his story about how he came to lay eyes on the Ultimate Weapon, Chise. OC


Disclaimer: I don't own the series Saikano or make any money from this story. I do, however, own the original characters used.

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They'll Pay for Every Foot

Chapter 1

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The day began in the small town of Devereux, Georgia. Nineteen-year-old Josh Nohara woke up like he did every day and turned on the television. He watched the news like he did almost every day. This day, however, his parents seemed a little upset. The day before, Josh had told his parents that he finally decided to get out of the town they lived in and join the Army. He thought about it for a long time and finally decided that it was time, so he met with a recruiter and signed up. His parents were against anyone being in the army, much less their own son. By the next morning his parents were still upset at him, which he could tell by the silence that made the air seem stagnant.

"Breakfast, Josh." His mom said sticking her head into his bedroom.

"Okay," was all that he could reply before she closed the door.

Josh put on some clothes, anxious about confronting his parents for breakfast, and went into the kitchen to see his dad already sitting at the table drinking from a glass of orange juice.

"Hey there, soldier." Josh's dad, Shin, said sarcastically. "Sit down and have something to eat! You're going to need the energy."

Shin owned a store downtown where both Josh and Josh's mom, Tracy, worked. The family made an okay living selling outdoor and hobby supplies. Josh hoped that whatever came in the shipment for the day was light because he knew that whatever came in he would be lifting, unloading, and displaying out in the storefront alone. He became frustrated at the injustice being done to him all because he wanted to help his country.

"I know you didn't want me to join," Josh said. "But I'm going to be help—"

"What if we go to war?!" Tracy cried.

Josh sat quietly without knowing how to reply.

"Look, Josh," Shin said. "We respect your decision, but you're only nineteen. You're still our kid and you'll always be that to us. We're just worried that you'll get hurt out there."

A slight pause followed and then Tracy said, "We'll just have to see what Beth says."

Josh was taken aback by the comment because he had forgotten to tell his girlfriend, Beth. Beth was as avidly against someone joining the military as his parents were, but her opinion mattered more to him than his parents'.

After breakfast, Josh and his parents started their work day. Josh, doing as Shin told him, spent most of the day offloading all of the crates that came in while his dad and mom ran the store. As the work day grew closer and closer to the end, Josh dreaded the thought of seeing Beth. Not because he didn't like to see her, but he feared what she might say.

After work, like every other day, Josh met Beth outside the store.

"Hey you!" said Beth excitedly. "How was work today?"

"It was pretty good. My dad made me check, unload, and place all of the shipments we got in today. That doesn't matter though, how are you?"

"I'm doing okay. Summer classes are kind of hard, but I'm pulling through."

"That's good to hear, Baby," Josh said with a smile.

An awkward silence followed but was broken by Beth asking, "Is there something on your mind?"

Josh reluctantly said, "What if someone you know was to join the Army?"

"What? What do you mean? Nobody's doing that, right?"

After another short pause, tears start to well up in the corners of Beth's eyes as Josh confirmed her worst fear. "Yeah Baby, I enlisted yesterday."

"You can't go into the Army," Beth said with tears still in her eyes. "I won't let you go and die in some foreign country!"

"We're not even at war, Baby. I don't think you need to worry about that."

"We're not at war _yet_ damn it! You watch the news! Things keep getting worse and worse every day, and we get closer and closer to war!"

"I understand why you're upset, I do, but I've already signed the contract and I'm already getting processed to go to MEPS."

Beth stared at him for a little while wondering whether she should be angry or sad about Josh leaving. After a short pause she fell into Josh's chest, crying and pleading with him not to go. Josh tried to explain how it would be a very good thing for both of them, but Beth didn't want to hear it.

Beth then gathered herself up, looked at Josh in the eyes and said, "I'm leaving and I don't know where we'll be tomorrow, but we'll have to see." She then turned and left abruptly down the street.

Two weeks went by with Josh trying to get some sort of contact out of Beth but rarely succeeding. When he would speak to her he would ask how she was and that always got the same silent reply.

With his relationship with Beth seemingly over, Josh went to the local recruiter and asked if he could speed up the process by going to take the required test for all military personnel sooner than originally outlined. "When is the soonest I could take the ASVAB?" he asked.

"Well we have a group going to take it tomorrow. You could come and take it with them, but I don't recommend you taking it without studying first."

"I've been studying, and I just want to get it done so I can start my job in the Army."

"If you're that eager to go take it, we can get you on the bus for tomorrow. Study up tonight and be ready for the test tomorrow because the bus leaves tomorrow at ten o'clock a.m. sharp."

The next morning, Josh got on the bus with the other potential recruits and headed to take the test. After about an hour of driving the bus pulled into a National Guard base where a man in an Army uniform got on the bus and told them what was going to happen. After the man finished talking, Josh got off the bus, followed the man's instructions to the letter, and then sat down at a table where he was handed the test booklet. The test proctor gave the same speech every proctor gives and after he finished, the group began their test.

After an hour and a half of non-stop test taking, Josh and the rest of the men in his group were told they could go to the room where physicals were being given. The men all lined up in a hallway and were told to do a series of movements, bends, and flexibility tests. One by one the men were called into a separate room where they were given the more private physical. After the physicals were all done they were escorted into a small waiting room where they waited for what seemed like an eternity.

After waiting for about an hour, Josh got his turn to go into the next room. The room was a small room that had a man sitting behind a desk. The man stood up to meet him "Hello Josh, I'm Sergeant Reeves. I'll be helping you write up your contract and help you decide what you want to do in the Army. For the moment, however, why don't you take a seat while I finish a little paperwork?"

The man scribbled some notes as Josh sat quietly in the chair. The office didn't seem very personalized. It was as if the man didn't have much attachment to it.

"Alright Josh, so I'll just come out and say it; do you have any particular job that you'd like to have in the Army?"

"I was thinking about a combat job, maybe infantry."

"Infantry? Well we're always taking people for that. Can I ask why you'd like that over any other job? I have your test scores here and you're much smarter than the average infantryman."

"I've never actually considered another job. I don't really want to be stuck behind a desk – no offense – but it's just not something that interests me."

"Well I can understand that, and I won't try to talk you out of it. We just need to see what else we can do for you. You want to list anything else the contract?"

"I'd like ranger, airborne, and sniper schools."

"I see. Want to get your 'hooah' on, huh? Alright well, I'll just finish this up and you can get on your way."

The man finished with the paper work, stood up, shook Josh's hand and moved him into the same waiting room that he was in before. After waiting for another thirty minutes, Josh and the other men in the waiting room were moved into a meeting area with a podium with a man standing behind it.

"Hello gentlemen! Glad to see you haven't lost your minds yet. I know it's been a long day and you're all mentally tired, but there's one last thing before we can get you guys out of here. I will be the one giving you the oath that every man and woman in the Army must take. But the good news is that after we're done with this we'll be getting you out of here. Now just raise your right hand and repeat after me." After the reciting of the oath, the officer dismissed them and, after a short meet and greet with the parents, the men filed back onto the bus and headed back for home.

The bus pulled back into town at 1:30 in the morning. Josh stumbled out of the bus feeling like he had been gone for a week. After getting back in his car and driving back home, he opened the door to his house and his parents were asleep on the couch waiting for him. Josh opened the door to his room, stepped in, and a voice said to him, "Hey there, soldier." Josh jumped a little as he looked towards the bed and saw that it was Beth waiting for him to get home.

"How was your thingy you had to go to?"

"It was a long day, and I'm really happy to be home. I couldn't have come home to a better sight either."

"Well I was waiting for you with your parents, but they fell asleep. I figured you'd like this just as much."

"I guess we need to talk about us, yeah?"

"I figured out that I'm willing to wait here for you. I'll be here for you and I'll write to you every day."

"Really? I don't really know what to say, Baby. I…I love you so much."

"I love you too, Baby."

The couple, after spending a passionate night together, spent the rest of the week with one another. After spending a wonderful week together, Josh received word that they were moving the date of his basic training up. The following week Josh gathered his stuff and got ready for basic.

"We'll miss you, son," his dad said. "Send a letter as soon as you can so that we can write to you."

"I will write as soon as I get a chance," he reassured.

Josh's mom tried to muster up the courage to tell him everything that she was keeping in, but could only hold out her arms, hug her son, and cry.

"I'll miss you more than I've ever missed anyone before, Baby. But I know you'll do fine and that you'll contact me as much as you can," said Beth.

Josh kissed Beth one last time and tried to hold onto her as long as he could before the driver said that it was time to go. Josh jumped on the bus, waved goodbye, and sat down into his seat. As the bus pulled away he felt choked up about leaving everything he'd ever known for something he didn't feel prepared for. Josh's parents and Beth waved as the bus pulled away and slowly went out of sight.

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PN (Proofer's Note lol): Hope you all enjoyed. This is his very first story so feedback would be greatly appreciated! Until next time!


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